Disconnect and Reconnect the Battery

Renewing a flat battery or disconnecting for other work on your Volvo S60 (225, 2018–present)? The 12 V battery is in the engine bay. Owners come to this job for all sorts of reasons: fitting a new battery when the old one is past it, isolating the electrics before bodywork or an electrical accessory install, laying the saloon up over winter, or tidying up after a jump-start that didn’t fully take. It is well within reach of a confident owner. Follow the correct terminal order, give the modules a moment to power down first, and the S60 comes back to life and relearns its settings cleanly — disconnecting the battery does not harm the car.

Where the 12 V Battery Is

Open the bonnet — the 12 V battery sits in the engine compartment, usually under a moulded plastic cover or trim panel you unclip or lift away to reach the terminals. With the cover off you will see two posts: the negative (−) post is black and marked with a minus symbol, and the positive (+) post is red, usually under a hinged red cap and marked with a plus. Identify both before touching a spanner, because the order you work in is what keeps the job safe.

On the petrol and mild-hybrid S60 there is no high-voltage traction system in play. On the Recharge plug-in hybrid the 12 V battery is still the one you service and the steps below are identical, but never touch the orange high-voltage cabling or the traction battery — that is a workshop-only area.

First, a Few Checks

• Confirm the ignition is fully off and the car is not in READY — the whole dash should be dark.
• Move the smart key well away so keyless entry can’t quietly wake the electronics while you work.
• Turn off the lights, climate and anything drawing from the 12 V sockets; close the windows and boot.
• Note any radio or infotainment security details you rely on, ready to re-enter them afterwards.
• Wait a couple of minutes after switch-off so the control modules go to sleep before you disturb anything.
• Have the right spanner ready (the clamp nuts are commonly 10 mm) and wear gloves and eye protection.

This is a common job.

Disconnecting

1. Switch everything off, remove the key, keep it away from the car and wait a couple of minutes for the modules to power down.
2. Slacken the nut on the negative (−, black) terminal first, ease the clamp off the post and lift it clear so it can’t flop back onto the terminal.
3. Only if you are removing the battery, release the positive (+, red) clamp next; for most electrical jobs leaving positive attached is fine.
4. Undo any hold-down clamp and lift the battery out if you are replacing it, keeping it upright.

Reconnecting

1. Set the battery back in its tray and refit the hold-down if you removed it.
2. Fit the positive (+) first, seat the clamp fully, then fit the negative (−) last, and tighten both firmly so neither can move.
3. Switch the ignition on, wait a few seconds for the systems to boot, then start the engine.

What You’ll Need to Reset Afterwards

Losing the 12 V supply clears a few learned and stored settings. On the S60 you will usually need to re-set the clock and re-store your radio/infotainment presets, then re-store your tyre pressures so the monitoring system has a fresh reference. If a window loses its one-touch or the anti-pinch feels wrong, re-initialise the windows. Seat and mirror memory positions may need re-storing, and one or two warning lights can flash up briefly — most clear themselves once the car has been driven a short distance and re-synchronised.

If a Warning Light Stays On or the Car Feels Off

• Check both clamps are tight and fully home — a loose terminal is the usual culprit after a battery job.
• Let the car relearn over a gentle drive of a few miles before assuming there is a fault.
• Re-run the window initialisation if the one-touch or auto-up has stopped behaving.
• If cranking is slow or a light won’t clear, rule out a genuinely weak or flat battery rather than the disconnection.
• Read any stored fault code so you know exactly what the car is flagging before spending anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the battery on a Volvo S60?

In the engine bay, under a plastic cover you lift or unclip. It is a standard 12 V battery across the petrol, mild-hybrid and Recharge plug-in-hybrid versions — the same one you service on all of them.

Which terminal comes off first?

Negative (−, black) first when disconnecting, and positive (+, red) first when reconnecting so the negative goes on last. This order avoids a short against the bodywork while your spanner is on a terminal.

What resets when I disconnect the battery?

Plan to redo the clock, radio and infotainment presets and the tyre-pressure reference. The windows may need re-initialising, seat and mirror memory can drop, and a few warning lights may briefly appear before clearing on a short drive.

Do I need to code a new battery?

Volvo recommends registering a new battery so charging matches its age and type. The car still runs without that step, but registering lets the smart-charging system look after the new battery and helps it last.

Will disconnecting the battery clear a fault code or the service light?

It may clear temporary codes, but it is not a repair — a genuine fault simply logs again. The service reminder is mileage/time based and usually isn’t reset just by disconnecting, so use the proper reset procedure for that.

Can I jump-start it instead of disconnecting?

Yes. If the battery is merely flat, a jump-start or a mains charger keeps all your settings intact. Disconnect only when you are renewing the battery or need the electrics fully dead for other work.

Done in the right order this is a simple driveway job. If a warning light stays on afterwards, check the code on autodtcs.com.